(Reuters) - Valencia have appointed Portuguese former Deportivo La Coruna and Porto goalkeeper Nuno as coach to take over from Juan Antonio Pizzi, who was sacked on Wednesday after just over half a season in charge. "Valencia Football Club have reached an agreement on the hiring of coach Nuno Espirito Santo until June 30, 2015 with an option for a further season depending on results," the La Liga club said on their website (www.valenciacf.com) on Thursday. Nuno, 40, ended his playing...

MADRID (Reuters) - Espanyol have appointed former player Sergio Gonzalez as coach to replace the departing Javier Aguirre, the La Liga club said on Tuesday. The 37-year-old Gonzalez, who also played for Deportivo La Coruna, has no top-flight coaching experience but the Barcelona-based club decided his work with the B team merited promotion to take charge of the first-team squad. "We are delighted with Sergio's personality and he knows the club perfectly," sporting...

By Tim and Hanlon BARCELONA,(Reuters) - It took Atletico Madrid 40 years to reach a second European Cup final and it might be a similarly long wait for a third appearance with wealthy clubs set to poach the La Liga champions' key assets. A week after Diego Godin headed the goal against Barcelona that won them the La Liga title for the first time since 1996, the Uruguayan nodded in a corner against Real Madrid in the final of the Champions League in Lisbon. They looked set...

By Iain Rogers LISBON (Reuters) - If Atletico Madrid win a first Champions League title by beating city rivals Real Madrid on Saturday they will become the most successful team in the club's history, eclipsing the La Liga and King's Cup double winners of 1996. Current coach Diego Simeone played in that side under Serbian Radomir Antic and Atletico's latest team have many similarities with the 1996 vintage. Known as "the mattress makers" for their red and white striped...

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is confident he will have recovered from a persistent thigh injury in time for Saturdayâs Champions League final. The FIFA Ballon d'Or winner, top scorer in La Liga this season with 31 goals, has been suffering recurring thigh problems since early April and has spent the last two weeks concentrating on being ready for the Lisbon showdown against Atletico Madrid. His last match was away to...

MADRID (Reuters) - Osasuna and Real Valladolid will join already-relegated Real Betis in the Spanish second division next season after a nail-biting final day of action in La Liga on Sunday was disrupted when a barrier collapsed at Osasuna. The match in Pamplona was halted for around 30 minutes when the barrier tumbled to the ground following Osasuna's 12th-minute opening goal against Betis and fans spilled on to the pitch. Around 60 fans were treated on site for...

MADRID (Reuters) - Atletico Madrid suffered a double blow that may affect their chances in next weekend's Champions League final when top scorer Diego Costa and playmaker Arda Turan limped out of Saturday's La Liga showdown at Barcelona. Costa was forced off in the 16th minute of the clash at the Nou Camp with an apparent leg muscle injury and Arda followed him just over five minutes later, potentially putting their participation in next Saturday's European showpiece against...

By Iain Rogers MADRID (Reuters) - If anyone had suggested before the start of the La Liga season that Atletico Madrid could pip vastly wealthier rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid to the title they would have been dismissed as hopelessly naive. Predicting that Diego Simeone's side, who wrapped up their 10th domestic league title and their first since 1996 thanks to Sunday's 1-1 comeback draw at Barca, would also be through to the final of Europe's elite club...